


We Are Robin Hood

by lankyguy



Series: A Barbarous Age [5]
Category: Robin Hood (BBC 2006), Robin Hood - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-16 19:41:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11259642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lankyguy/pseuds/lankyguy





	We Are Robin Hood

"You are not going anywhere!" Fulke FitzWarin shouted.

"It is not your place to tell me what I will and will not do, on my own lands," Robert Fitz Oto growled. "Enough of this, I'm tired of waiting."

Fitz Oto pushed past Fulke, and this time, FitzWarin let him. They had been arguing with him for near to an hour, waiting on Will, and he'd grown tired of it himself.

Fitz Oto was an impetuous spoiled brat, and if he wanted to rush out and get himself captured, then Fulke was willing to let him.

Conrad, stepped in front of Robert Fitz Oto, but Fulke waved him off.

"Let him go. We’ll find him later if we need."

"I do not like this," Roger Godberd frowned. " We should not have left Will alone."

"He hardly needs nursemaiding," Henry chided. "We all saw what he did in town, leave him be."

There was a brief pause and the Conrad roared in laughter.

"On my word, you speak your mind freely for a stable boy!" He clapped Henry on the back.

Henry turned read and started to apologize, but Cecil waved it off.

"Tut, Will told you; we are all equals here, all just men, and so we are. Say what ever you want, and for my part, you are perfectly correct."

"Thank you," Henry smiled.

"Ignore the mother hens, they mean well," Conrad said in hushed tone indicating Roger and Fulke.

Roger looked into the surrounding brush and wondered where little Jon had got. The young boy had vanished shortly after leading them here. No doubt, standing with his twin beside Will.

Robert Fitz Oto did not make it far before being manhandled and returned to the circle in front of Fulke.

The village men, all stationed around them in the woods, dumped Fitz Oto unceremoniously on his arse.

"What are you doing? I'm in charge here!"

"Hood's in charge," a well-muscled teenager said and turned away to resume his place in the woods. From the soot ground into his clothes Fulke assumed the boy must be the blacksmith's son.

Robert Fitz Oto grunted, "Hood."

As if in response to the name two, copper haired boys appeared on either side of Fitz Oto, shot from the woods like twin bolts. Tom took Fitz Oto's hand and began to pull him away.

"We're to take him," Jon said to Fulke and Roger. The men exchanged a glance as Jon and Tom melted into the forest with Robert Fitz Oto.

"Where are we going?" Robert demanded shortly. "I demand you tell me where we're going."

The boys ignored him and led him on long route that snaked through the woods. They stepped out and into a clearing. 

In front of the mound? Robert was confused.

"You led me around to the backside?" he asked.

"Who said, this is the back?" Jon frowned.

Tom pulled back a section of turf revealing a hole. The turf had disguised a wood cover, like that intended for a barrel, that hid the hole. Tom crawled in, followed by Jon. Robert looked around and shrugged. The was just enough room for him, and he followed.

Robert crawled through the dirt and roots for about ten feet, when it opened up into a passage, large enough to stand up in. Tom and Jon were waiting on him. 

The floor was smooth here. Polished stone? The walls here were not dirt but small stones, piled on onto the other, dirt and hardened mud used as mortar. A torch hung from one wall illuminating the passage.

The air was crisp and cool, and flowed freely, but he could not tell from whence it came.

"That is definitely the back entrance," Fitz Oto grimaced. Tom and Jon giggled.

"Sorry about that," Will Scarlett smiled stepping out of the shadows. Fitz Oto jumped a bit, the hooded man's cloak had blended perfectly in the shadows and dim light.

"You're Robin Hood?" he asked, a trace of awe in his voice.

"After a fashion. All men who stand up to tyranny are Robin Hood," Will said.

Robert Fitz Oto rolled his eyes.

"Wait... You mean that," Fitz Oto said, stunned.

"Yeah, a bit. I do," Will chewed on his lip. "The name's Will Scarlett."

"I'm sorry, I've never heard of you."

"No, reason you should. I was nobody until I became one of Robin Hood's men, and then one of King Richard's."

"What the other one, Fulke, said was true, then."

Will eyed Fitz Oto carefully. He was the same age as Robin of Loxley, if a little taller and a stone heavier. There was something in the turn of his countenance that reminded Will of Allan-a-dale, though Fitz Oto was obviously a noble. He was far too fresh-faced, too smooth, to ever have led the hard scrabble life they'd lived in the north.

"What are you looking at? You alright, mate?" Fitz Oto asked.

"I'm trying to size you up," Will said matter-of-factly. "I need help. Someone needs to be my man in Loxley. I need someone to be Robin Hood."

Robert Fitz Oto's mouth dropped, staggering back he sat down hard on the floor

*** 

Fulke was beginning to get concerned.

Robert Fitz Oto and Will Scarlett had been gone almost an hour now. They'd set the locals to work patrolling the area. They didn't want the lord's soldiers stumbling on them.

They would use one Will's special arrows if trouble appeared. The arrow had a hollow tip, with a hole cut in the top, that made a whistling sound as it flew.

Roger and Henry were busy with target practice, whilst Conrad and Cecil watched. Luke and Edmund were fletching arrows.

"You really need to learn to relax, Fulke," Luke said.

Conrad raised an eyebrow and looked at Cecil.

"I agree," Roger smiled. "He’ll get to us, when he can. You have to accept, our little boy's grown up,"

"It's our duty to watch out for him," Fulke protested and not for the first time.

"You do," Cecil protested, "We all have done our part, but things are different now, with the news of the King being held in Austria."

"You all are going to have to change your approach," Henry agreed, notching an arrow and letting it fly.

"I feel like I'm treading water." Fulke groaned. He jumped as Jon appeared beside him.

"Will said be ready," Jon told them.

"For what?" Luke asked, walking up to stand next to FitzWarin.

Jon shrugged.

"I guess, we'll know when my brother deigns to tell us." Luke grinned at Fulke, who turned to say something to Jon.

"He's gone," Fulke looked around. "The little wanker, disappeared. I hate it when they do that."

"He took my cloak!" Luke looked around in surprise, "The little bugger stole my scarlet cloak!"

"Didn't you steal it off the clothesline at the Manor house, two days ago?" Edmund Chauncey smirked.

"Your point being?" Luke frowned in mock offense. He flew into Edmund and they began to fight.

"Here we go again," Henry rolled his eyes and darted out of the way of flailing arms.

Luke and Edmund took note of Henry's dismissal and immediately jumped him. They'd been looking for an excuse to have at him, Henry being a little too reserved for their tastes. But the lanky young man was not unaccustomed to a fight and gave as good as he got.

The others enjoyed the show.

*** 

"So, you want me to become Robin Hood?" Robert Fitz Oto asked. "Why don't you just help me take back the town? Let me take back my lands?"

"Prince John gave away your lands. They’re gone, get it into your head. If we take them back by force, it's insurrection. Price John will march an army in here and decimate the town."

"So, I play at Robbing Hood? To what end?" Robert protested.

"You make life difficult for John's man here. Help take pressure off the townsfolk. Give him a target, other than the people. That's what we did in Sherwood and Nottingham and the Loxley, I'm from."

"Locksley?"

"Yes."

"The men don't trust me. You have their trust, you're their Robbin’ ‘Ood, I'm just... I’m just an idiot noble on the run."

"Maybe we can work on that," Will said thoughtfully. Jon's whistle echoed faintly from outside. Tom looked at Will, and getting a nod bolted for the entrance. 

"Come on, I've got a plan!"

"I'm going to get dirty a lot playing Robin Hood, aren't I?"

"Yes. Yes, you are."

Robert Fitz Oto found himself crawling back down the hole. Will Scarlett already at the end. What drove this young man? Robert was impressed.

At the entrance he found Will's hand waiting. Surprisingly strong for one so gangly looking, Robert observed as Will yanked him from the back entrance to the mound.

"Soldiers regularly waylay travellers on the road. We're about to stop an assault."

"But..."

"I'll explain on the way!" Will disappeared into the woods. Robert grunted and ran after him.

*** 

Luke was giving a Dutch Rub to a squealing Henry, with Edmund's help when they heard the whistling sound.

"Someone is on the road!" Roger said.

"Let's go!" Luke bolted up, he and Edmund ran in the direction the arrow came. Henry following quickly behind.

Fulke and Roger looked at each other, and ran after, with Conrad and Cecil in tow.

"Your boy's fitting in rather well," Conrad noted from behind Roger.

"I know," Roger said a little unhappily, it caused Cecil to guffaw.

Within minutes they'd reached the roadside, watching two soldiers accosting a lone traveller.

"God’s Hooks, but he’s not very smart. Out on the road alone. He was all but asking to be stopped by bandits, or worse. Maybe we should leave him learn his lesson," Luke frowned.

"Another day, I'd agree, but our local boys are watching. It wouldn't do to let a friend or relative of theirs get hurt, would it?"

"All right, here's what we do," Roger started.

He was interrupted by a piercing shriek. They all turned and looked up the road in surprise.

A dark figure wearing a green cloak, fell from an over hanging tree and into the road. The hood was pulled over his face. Standing up quickly, he notched an arrow.

It’s Will! They all thrilled.

A second man in a scarlet cloak and hood, fell from the tree and stood beside Will.

"That's my cloak," Luke was confused.

"Step away!" the hooded man in the green cloak said. 

The first soldier obeyed, but the second held his sword to the travelers throat.

Without another word ‘Robin Hood’ fired his arrow into the soldier's right shoulder, jerking the hand holding the sword back and away from the victim's neck. The man in the scarlet hood shot an arrow into his thigh. The soldier yelled, and dropped his sword.

The first soldier dropped his own sword and held up his hands.

At a whistle from Hood, men from both sides of the forest walked into the road. They all wore their own hoods pulled tight over their faces.

Waiting in the center of the road, Hood stood with his hands on his bow, whilst the men tied the soldiers to their horses.

"Lead them back toward town, then let them on their way," he said.

"Something's off," Fulke watched from the treeline. Roger nodded.

"Back to your home, boy, " Robin Hood said to the traveller. "And be more careful next time."

"Are you? Are you, Robin Hood?" the young man asked.

"I am." 

Fulke was sure he could feel a smile beaming, from under the hood.

The boy rode quickly to town.

The towns men crowded around Hood, congratulating him, thanking him and patting him on the back. He pulled the cloak back to reveal a smiling Robert Fitz Oto. Pulling the scarlet cloak off his head, Will patted Robert on the back and joined Fulke.

"What was that about?" Fulke look hard at Will.

"Setting it up so we can leave," Roger surmised, making Will smile widely in agreement.

Jon and Tom, tensed nearby.

"Come along, men!" Robert shouted and led the men back to the mound.

Will showed them how to open up the hidden door he'd constructed for the front of the mound. Soon twenty men had crouched down and crawled through the entrance.

They entered a large circular room, the main room, a hearth in the middle. Smaller passages to other rooms and entrances branched off this room like a spider web. The men were amazed, the mound was larger and deeper than they knew. So much had grown in, filling in the old site.

"We had to dig a bit to find the front entrance." Will told Roger and Fulke.

"The boys already had their own entrance I bet," Luke smiled, looking at Tom who held onto Will's hand. Tom smiled back.

"And I want my cloak back," Luke groused.

"Shush, he's going to give his speech," Will ignored him.

"Give it back."

"Sod off."

"Boys, I'll take you both over my knee," Fulke said sternly.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Edmund whispered, causing everyone to titter.

"Cheeky git," Fulke huffed, but there was amusement in his voice.

"Those of you who can go home, should. We'll need your help, but for other things, you're more use to us as eyes and ears in the town," Robert Fitz Oto said a bit proudly. He walked in a big circle, eyeing each man in turn.

"But what are we doing?" An older man asked. "Why do we not take back our town?"

"Prince John will crush us, if we do." Robert looked at Will, who nodded. The crowd murmured agreement.

"Then what use is this?" The blacksmith's son spoke up, he was obvious anxious and eager to do something, even if it was wrong.

"Edward, you father's a good man, he's worked hard to give you a life and I won't see it wasted. Those who stay with me, will be building a future for our people. We will work to ease the burdens Prince John levies on them."

"But how?"

"We prowl the roads, just as we did today, we protect the people. Where necessary we stop the tax man on the road and take from him what he's taken from us; then we give it back to our people," Robert said. 

"Give it back?" Someone spat, but the sentence trailed off with embarrassment.

"Yes, we give it back. If we do not give back to the people, they've no reason to keep our secret. You've got no reason to keep our secret."

"But Robin," someone started, and it thrilled Will. They had taken the bait. Robert Fitz Oto was becoming Robin Hood to them. 

It was an easy enough thing with the events of the day and the similarity of the names. Everyone had grown up with tales of the 'robbin' 'ood' that prowled the forests of England. Appropriating the name was a common past time among those living outside society.

"He's doing well," Roger said. "No doubt due to your coaching."

"He's a quick study," Will nodded.

"Better he'd had his wits about him from the start, you wouldn't have had to rescue him. He'd have done more good working within, than as bandit," Fulke frowned, worry creasing his brow.

"I'm not so sure about that, but he's young. He made a mistake."

"In his arrogance and privileged haste, and he's older than you."

"I've made plenty of mistakes of my own. I should never have left the Holy Land, without Djaq, I should have persuaded her to return with me. We were happy here in England."

"You had no choice. You followed the King's orders," protested Roger.

"A King who may now, never return," stormed Fulke sharply.

"That sounds bitter," Will turned to him.

"Merely disappointed," Fulke looked at him from heavy eyes. "I'm sure it will pass, and no doubt sooner than it ought."

Looking at him with concern, Will noticed the lines of worry on Fulke's face and the new grey in his short cropped hair. He thought he even caught sight of grey chest hair reaching up out of the top of his tunic. Will cupped the back of Fulke’s head affectionately.

"You need a shave," Will scolded him playfully.

"So says, Wilfred of lack-beard," teased Luke. Edmund giggled.

"Leave me alone. Everyone is always on me about my beard."

"And well they should, I've more hair on my arse," Fulke smiled.

"Which we're all daily witness to," Henry sighed, "Much to our chagrin."

"I liked you better when you were silent," Fulke playfully slapped Henry on the back, and sent him sprawling.

Will looked around suddenly. He looked down at Tom, who had moved to hold Luke's hand.

"Where's Jon?" Will knelt down and asked the boy. Tom looked at him with deep eyes, and Will nodded.

*** 

He walked up to the hovel they had first found the boys in, with dread. How do I handle this? What would my father do?

Taking a long look at it, he noted it was little more than a shack. Not for the fist time, he wondered how it was still standing. There was a reason that it was left alone. It was dangerous, an accident waiting to happen.

He entered what used to be the front door, ducking under a newly fallen beam. Jon was in a corner sobbing.

"Jon, what's wrong?" Will sat down on the dirty wood floor, next to the young boy. The boy shrank a little from him and it caused a pang in the outlaw’s stomach. Resisting the urge to run his fingers through the boys hair, they sat in silence for a long moment.

"Jon."

"You're leaving." Was the strangled response, it hit Will in the chest. Another moment passed.

"I am, there's a job to do, and I've been tasked by the King himself to do it."

"You can't go... It's too much. Tom will be hurt. He doesn't want you to go."

"I'm sorry, Jon, but I have to, and I will be honest with you... You are a young man. You are one of my fighters," Will felt a change in Jon's posture at that, but he did not look at him. "You deserve the truth, Jon. I don't know if I will ever come back here, in fact there is a good chance, I might not survive the year. Prince John's men are everywhere and I’m an outlaw."

Jon sat up and began to take this in.

"Yet, I have a job to do, and while I live I must do it. The men in this town also have a job to do, we have to stand up for each other, every day. Just like you stand up for and take care of Tom. Do you understand?"

"I know, but Tom will miss you. He loves you." Jon's dirty face was streaked with tears.

"I love him too, I love both of you," Will gave Jon a hug finally and kissed his head. They sat there for long moments.

"I have to get back, now. Will you go get Tom? I need you to do something for me."

Jon stood up, brightening considerably. He gave Will a little salute.

"I need you and Tom to go and find new clothes, go and borrow some from someone in town," Will instructed. Jon grinned from ear to ear.

"You are NOT to steal them. Buy them, leave this." Will gave Jon some coins. Frowning with disappointment, Jon turned to leave.

"Hey!" Will called, "Don't get caught."

"Me?" Jon feigned insult, and disappeared with an impish smile.

*** 

"It's time to leave," Will announced on returning to camp. He did not see Tom and Jon, assuming they were gone on his errand.

"Isn’t this a little quick?" Fulke asked.

"Really, I could use a little more help," Robert Fitz Oto agreed.

"No, the longer we're here the more distraction. You have their attention and allegiance, better we don't undermine that. You'll be fine," Will was firm. "We leave tomorrow."

The men nodded.

"Where are we going?" Luke asked.

"You and Edmund are going with Roger and Henry to his lands." Will put a hand on his brothers shoulder. Luke shrugged it off in anger.

"I just got you back, I'm not letting you run off again," Luke challenged.

"Let me finish. You go with Roger; Cecil and Conrad will stay here with Robert. Fulke and I are going to Sherwood, and eventually on to Rotherwood. I have to make an appearance as Wilfred of Ivanhoe at some point. You can meet us there later, if you like."

"We are not breaking up the team," Conrad took his chance to argue.

"Our job is to give Prince John, what for, in Richard's absence. It will be easier and safer to do it on multiple fronts. If we concentrate all our efforts here, the easier it is to swoop in with an army, massacre everyone, and salt the earth. No one would ever rise up again, but if we dog him and harass him from every direction, he will be too busy to mass against us."

His men grumbled and looked at him, not at all happy with this turn of events.

"The plan has some merit," Robert Fitz Oto said.

"I liked you better before," Cecil grumped. "When you were the irrational one."

"Why are Cecil and I staying here?" Conrad asked.

"To help Fitz Oto over the bumps, you know our routine," Roger said.

"You'll be his men here," Henry offered.

"And by extension the King's. You legitimize it to anyone who might question his authority," Fulke agreed.

"There is that, but make no mistake," Will turned to face Fitz Oto. "This belongs to you as much as us now. Never forget that though you may be leader, the Robin Hood, the men follow you because they want to. We’re equals, all outlaws, and everyone's the same to the hangman's noose."

"Charming thought," Robert Fitz Oto agreed. "You must be fun at parties."

"Remind me why I freed you?" Will grinned.

"My nice bum?"

"Not hardly, Cecil's is nicer," Will turned away from him.

"At least someone's noticed," Cecil laughed.

"I need you to help Roger," Will turned to Luke. "He won't have the manpower on the ground Robert does here. You need to start up new."

"Then send FitzWarin here, no offense Fulke," Luke spat. "But I'm his brother."

"Luke you know almost as much about Robin Hood's operation as I do and Roger needs your experience. You've been an outlaw longer than he has."

"I don't like it," Luke stomped away sulking.

"I'll keep an eye on him," Roger Godberd volunteered.

"I know," Will said.

"But I'm not entirely sure about this myself. I won't be exactly welcome home in Swannington," Roger said.

"I know but you know the area. Go there, do what we've done here. Station yourself in Charnwood and start your own band of outlaws, camp there or Barnesdale or wherever. Word is your old friend the Abbé Theobald is up to his old tricks."

"He's the one who ran me out," Roger shook his head. "That’s why I followed Richard to the Holy Land. Theobald confiscated the family living for the church, and there was little reason to stay."

"See, Norman's can be shit to each other, as well. Saxon heritage isn't a prerequisite," Fulke inserted.

"I don't care about any of this. I want to stay with my brother!" Luke shouted.

"We'll need our horses and supplies," Will told Luke, ignoring the outburst. "And two ponies."

"Ponies?" Luke stammered.

"Jon and Tom are going with me and Fulke," Will announced. The were two squeals of delight, as Tom and Jon bolted from hiding and jumped on Will.

They held onto him, hugging him for long minutes until he pried them off.

"You were supposed to be finding clothes," Will scolded Jon.

"I couldn't leave with important stuff going on!" Jon protested, and Tom nodded excitedly.

"Go now! Luke will meet you at the stream. Go there after you get the clothes."

"I will?" Luke asked.

"What for?" Jon asked, suddenly suspicious.

"You need a bath," Fulke said, to much agreed grunts and nods all around.

"Aw, man," Jon took Tom's hand and they left the mound.

"Just do it," Fulke shouted.

"You'll make a fine father," Luke looked at FitzWarin.

"What?"

"Exactly, you can see it can't you?" Will smiled. "We'll say Fulke's their father."

"We look nothing alike, me and those terrors. Besides, they're Ginger. I am not Ginger."

"Oh, there's Ginger in you, I've seen your short and curlies," Will grinned.

"We've all seen his short and curlies," Cecil agreed.

"He'd show them to anyone in the Holy Land that even looked his way," Conrad added. "It was most tiresome."

"That's enough of my short and curlies, thank you," Fulke was turning a bright red.

"Never been so tired of seeing one man naked," Roger shook his head. Everyone began to roar with laughter.

"How did I become the butt of the jokes?" Fulke moaned in a mock sulk. In truth, he was glad to see the men laughing, and more than happy to be the object of it. Never trust a man who won't be laughed at. He had learned that from King Richard.

Luke gave Will a long sad look, and left the mound. King Richard’s men took to their errands to get ready to leave, whilst Robert and the townsmen set to creating a farewell feast for their guests.

"You should speak to him," Roger offered.

"I will."

*** 

Luke exited the mound like a shot. He saw the Blacksmith's son and stopped.

"What's your name, boy?" Luke asked the muscular youth.

"Edward, my friends call me ‘Smitty.’"

"Smitty the Blacksmith? God's hooks, those are some friends!" Luke motioned for the young man to follow and they darted into the woods.

"I’m not a boy, we're the same age," Smitty said.

"Whatever."

"Where are we going?"

"I have an errand to run, and one of Will’s - I mean Robin Hood's rules is you don't run around alone if you can help it. Always take back up with you, you never know when you might need it."

"That makes sense. Your brother knows what he’s doing."

"Occasionally," Luke said, he was going to say more, pontificate on his own version of foresting, but motion in the woods stopped him. He held up a hand to signal Smitty. Ahead of them a lone soldier was tromping through the woods, obviously lost, somehow, and now too close to the mound.

"We give him something to follow, lead him away," Luke whispered. Smitty nodded and grinned.

They had grown up doing this, Luke and Will. Always in trouble they would get chased into the woods, they learned how to lead their pursuers on a long twisting chase until they lost all notion of where they were. It was a skill that many in the tiny village of Locksley had learned. Living deep in the green and always barely surviving, you had to know your way around the forest.

Within a quarter hour, they'd succeeded in getting their prey completely lost. Finally Luke snuck up on him from behind and knocked him out. Smitty took the man under one arm and Luke the other and they walked to the road. The plan was to leave him on the other side of the road, he'd never remember where he was or how near he'd been.

"Took you bloody long enough," Edmund appeared beside them, making Smitty jump. "You a’right, mate?"

Smitty nodded.

"Are you following me?" Luke asked.

"As you see."

"Did Will send you?"

"No," Edmund said. "Whatever you think, he knows you can handle yourself. I'm the one that thinks you're an idiot."

"Thank you,” Luke said.

"That's what friends are for. Where are we going? I thought you were to make sure the twins got a bath."

"A little detour first," Luke said. "Something I saw in a farmhouse I need."

"If it's another farmer's daughter I will knock you on your arse."

Smitty chuckled at that.

"You'll see," Luke told him proudly.

"Who's this one?" Edmund asked of Smitty.

"This is Smitty the Blacksmith," Luke laughed.

"Really?" Edmund was astonished.

"You think it's funny?" Smitty was defiant, but not offended.

"I do," Luke confessed.

"Where does your name come from master Scarlett?" Smitty asked surprising them by knowing Luke's surname.

"Originally it was ‘Scathelock,’” Luke explained.

"Why 'Scarlet' then? Bet there’s a story there,” Smitty said.

"Well, some said it was because my father often wore a red cloak when he was young, so Scathelock just became Scarlet."

“But." Edmund grinned, knowing where this was going.

"When he was in his cups, my father would tell you the women called him ‘Scarlet’ because of his big, red cock," Luke grinned. 

Smitty stared at him.

"A rooster," Edmund said.

"No, really," Luke agreed. "He had the biggest rooster in three counties."

Smitty looked at them as if they were mad, making Edmund and Luke laugh like fools.

"A rooster."

*** 

Two hours later they returned to camp with the boys in tow freshly scrubbed and clothed. Tom carried a puppy tightly in his hands.

"You gave them a puppy?" Fulke was astonished. "We can't take a puppy with us."

"You take it away then." Luke strode past him to Will.

"Cheers," Edmund followed. Smitty had stayed in town, taking up his duties as spy for the outlaws.

Fulke looked at Luke as if he were going to strangle him. The anger quickly melted away as he watched the boys play with the puppy.

"They need something to take care of, something to occupy them, besides just you and the mission." Luke stared at Will pointedly.

Will cupped a hand on the side of Luke's head and regarded him affectionately, then pulled him tightly into an embrace.

"I love you, Loopy."

"I love you too," Luke told him. "Whatever you’re doing, you'd better not get yourself killed."

Fulke turned away, feeling for all the world like he was intruding, the bond was so tight between the brothers.

Luke broke the embrace and walked toward the mound entrance. Edmund followed him, but stopped as if to say something to Will, but didn't. They shared a brief glance and a nod, and Edmund followed Luke.

"What was all that about?" Fulke asked indicating the puppy.

"You know our family was close with the estate old Earl of Huntingdon. My mother took ill once, when we were very young, she almost died. Robin gave us one of the puppies to care for. It was a big help, especially for Luke."

Fulke looked at him thoughtfully.

"I'm glad Luke has Edmund as a mate," Fulke said.

"I am too, it makes the leaving easier," Will walked over to the boys to meet the new addition to their party.

*** 

Beauchamp was not unaware he was a brute. He'd always known. Yet it had never been a problem in life and so never really thought overmuch about it.

If you were to call him a brute he would not be offended. It had certainly never hurt him in the love department. He'd always found some wench willing to take him on for the night, and eventually one to marry and give him sons.

Truth to tell, the wife gave as good as she got.

He had a fine job that suited his needs, a soldier stationed at Nottingham Castle.

Granted the castle was gone, turned to dust and rubble in an amazing conflagration. Still, he had a job and that was all that mattered. Better still, since the castle's ruin the outlaws that had always deviled them, seem to have all but vanished.

Rumor was that Robin Hood himself had died in the castle. Though some said he was buried in the woods, others at Kirklees Abbey, all agreed he was no more.

Beauchamp was going about his business rousting pilgrim's on the road, as per the new Sherriff's orders, one Reginald de Grey. His best mate Ralph was with him. The sun was shining, it was crisp and beautiful, if a bit cold.

It was a grand day.

Then he heard the yipping.

Beauchamp looked up to see a small dog in the middle of the road, a mutt. He stepped toward it, wondering briefly where it had come from when the first rock struck his helmet.

He cursed and turned in the direction it had come from. A second rock hit his helmet from the other side of the road.

"Ralph," he called. He turned back to the road to see a hooded man standing twenty paces away, an arrow notched in his long bow.

"Fuck me," Beauchamp spat.

"Turn and run to Nottingham, or die. Your choice," the hooded man growled. "You know these woods belong to Robin Hood."

Beauchamp didn't argue. He turned and walked away. Ralph followed. They broke into a run as a barrage of stones began to assail them from either side.

"That was easier than I thought it'd be," the hooded man said as he walked over to the victims, he immediately saw that they were not pilgrims. The man seemed to be a minstrel.

"Let me help you up.” Fulke pulled the hood off his head and extended a hand to the young lady, she smiled and took it.

"Thank you, sir," Megaera said. She noticed a second hooded man walking onto the road and nodded to him. They were clearly together. 

"Will you help me with my husband? He's blind,” she said. 

"You are not Robin Hood," the blind minstrel said. "I knew Robin Hood."

"Enough, love," she said. "They helped us and that is Robin Hood enough for me."

"Bah," the man said and spat on the ground.

To Fulke the man looked old, though he was clearly close to his own age. Whatever he had been through it had done him no favors.

The blind minstrel turned inexplicably in the direction of the second man, as if feeling he was there.

"You said, 'they' Meg, who is the second?" the minstrel asked his wife.

"A quite man in a scarlet cloak," Meg answered.

"He gets that way," Fulke agreed.

"Scarlet?" The minstrel mumbled, considering this information.

"And two boys!" she was surprised to see twin boys come out of the woods on either said of the road.

"Brothers?" The blind man asked.

"Oh, yes," Fulke replied. "Luckily their skills with the slingshot have improved. We were quite ready to sell them off."

Tom stuck his tongue out at Fulke, grinned and picked up the dog. 

Will watched the blind minstrel carefully from under his cloak.

"What happened to your face?" Tom asked.

"Tom," Fulke scolded. "That's not polite."

Somewhere on the journey, Tom had begun speaking. It had happened so naturally and without fanfare, they nearly had not noticed; the twins voices were much alike. Fulke and Will had silently decided not to make anything of it.

"Hah, a good question,” the minstrel said. "Let's get off the road to safety and we'll break our fast properly, eh, 'Robin Hood?’"

They left the road a few hundred yards, to a clearing. The blind man sniffing it out.

"I know this place, we'll be fine here,” he said.

They set up a fire and roasted the coveys the minstrel had tied on his pack.

"How did you come by those scars, friend?" Fulke asked. Jon and Tom sat on either side of Will, listening intently. 

"I was at the siege of the castle. I was one of the last of Robin Hood's men, when the old Sheriff marched his army in to reclaim it,” the blind man said.

"We've heard rumors on the road," Fulke stoked the fire absently. "Is it true Robin Hood died?"

"The one I followed, yes. Though we are all Robin Hood in our way, no?" The minstrel turned his head in Will's direction.

Fulke looked at his friend, sitting there between the boys. Will looked as if he were either about to cry or shout in anger or run away, and could not decide which to do first.

"My friends thought me dead and loaded me on a funeral pyre. Luckily my dear wife, Meg, came along and pulled me down."

"Good thing,” Fulke said.

"Aye, I was only mostly dead," the blind man sighed. "She nursed me to health, but the fire had done it's damage, scarred my face and left me blind. She doesn't seem to mind the scars too much, she married me anyway."

"It wasn't your face I loved you for Allan-a-dale," Meg smiled and leaning in gave him a peck on the cheek.

Fulke felt the air around Will tense at the mention of the man's name. This was the same man, Will had talked so much of, his best friend.

The minstrel whispered to his wife and standing up turned away, his face in tears. She bowed her head wiping her own wet eyes.

"My husband wants to know why you won't speak," Meg looked at Will.

“I don't feel like I've the right to say anything,” Will choked. 

"Will Scarlett you stupid git, come here!" Allan said, and Will rushed into his arms. The two men held each other for a long time. 

"Thank god, your alive. We didn’t hear anything for so long." Allan sobbed.

"I’m sorry, I should have come here sooner,” Will said.

"There was nothing you could have done. It was always going to end with Robin and Gisbourne’s deaths, one way or the other."

They spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in conversation.

Yes, Luke was fine, Will told him, gone to help their boon companion Roger Godberd spread the Robin Hood legend. King Richard was truly being held ransom in Austria. Djaq had stayed in her home in the Holy Land, but Will did not talk much about that.

Much had joined an acting troupe, Allan explained. He played the fool, of course. The role he was born to, and they both rolled with laughter. He also told Will of Kate and Archer, though it was only in Archer that Will expressed any interest. Archer was trying to carry on Robin's work in the forest. Allan kept his ears open, and left them news.

"Don't tell them about me," Will instructed and Allan didn't ask why. "Don't tell anyone I’m back. They don't know me anyway."

"Oh, no, Will," Allan said and picked up his lute, strumming it. "Everyone knows about you, and they always will. Where there's a Robin Hood there's always a Will Scarlett."

Allan strummed his instrument and played for them ‘A Gest of Robyn Hode’.

*** 

Two days later Will Scarlett and Fulke FitzWarin entered Scarborough and checked into the first, best Inn they could find. The boys were quickly in their room, hopefully occupied with their toilet and given the task of bathing the dog.

Fulke and Will settled into their own bath, a long copper tub filled with hot water. Playing with Fulke's feet, Will teased the hair on his toes.

"Your leaving," Fulke said. "That's why we're here. You never planned to go to Rotherwood."

"I will stop by Rotherwood,” Will said, “But yes, I have to try to rescue Richard."

"I know, I realized it, when you announced you were sending Luke off with Roger," Fulke's eyes were wet. "Now, you're leaving me."

"You have to stay here and carry on,” Will said.

"You don't plan to come back."

"No, I do, I truly do. I just don't think it likely," Will said rubbing the calluses on the bottom of Fulke's foot. 

“I can come with you,” Fulke said.

"No. I can't do what I need to do with you along. I can't become who I need to, I'm sorry."

“I know,” Fulke said.

"I'll work better and faster knowing, you and Luke and Roger and Henry and the boys and Edmund and... Hell, there are so many people to worry about now! With you all here, I can pretend that you are safe and I can do what I have to. I've gone soft, you see? If I were to take you, and something were to happen to even one of you, I couldn't take it. It would kill me." 

"You are anything but soft, Pale Death."

"I've fallen in love with you all, with being home. It's too much a lark, too like the old days and I can’t go back there yet. Not while Richard is being held captive. I have to do this."

"I know I just don't want you to go, Richard be damned." Fulke ran a hand down one of Will's long legs under the water. "I’m selfish and I don’t care."

"At least we have right now," Will said, pulling Fulke to him.

"Whatteryou doing in there?" Tom shouted from behind the locked door.

"In the bath!"

"Can we come in?"

"NO!"

*** 

Wilfred of Ivanhoe was brought out of his reverie by the minstrel finishing ‘A Gest of Robyn Hode’ with a string snapping 'ploink'.

Percy Blakeney, a visiting lord squealed, making Wilfred roll his eyes. Everyone laughed and more wine was quickly poured.

"Sorry," Allan-a-dale said.

"It's fine dear," Meg handed him a tankard of ale.

"You've done well, old friend," Wilfred said green eyes twinkling in a smile. "As always."

"Sire," Thomas FitzWarin whispered in his ear. Wilfred noted that Fulke had already left.

"Come on, old man, let's be off." Jonathan said in the other ear, pulling his arm.

"Rowena, I am undone," Wilfred laughed as the young men pulled him from the room. "My nephews kidnap me, no doubt for some nefarious purpose."

"Men and their hunting," Rowena said rolling her eyes and returned to her guests. Though she knew well the errand they were on, she did not let her worry show in her clear grey eyes.

She looked at her own children, Robert and Richard, pale skinned and green-eyed and she was happy. They were not twins but near in age. Her children had gotten the blessing of King Richard himself before his passing, and she was grateful to have a few years yet before the boys followed their father on his adventures.

She turned her attention back to the party, noting with relief but no surprise that Blakeney had also left.

Beneath the castle at Rotherwood was a network of caves. It was built on the site of an old Breton fortress, and the Saxons had made good use of the honeycombed caves beneath it. For several years now it had served as a meeting place for a group of old friends.

"Took you long enough." Djaq said in mock exasperation as Will Scarlett and the boys came from a passage in the rock face.

"Mother!" Tom and Jon chimed in unison, kissing her on either cheek.

"Stop that," She playfully swatted at the young men. "One day you'll do that in public, and then, we're all done for."

"Nonsense, love," Fulke came in by another entrance, likewise giving her a peck on the cheek. "You're their mother in every way that matters."

"Say that to your wife and she'll box your ears. I don't care how handsome you are."

"You think I'm handsome."

"Enough, you know you are. The boys take after you in every way. Including those rakish good looks,” Djaq said.

"Speaking of which, you two have to be careful, avoid court when you’re in London. If King John ever gets one good look at you, he'll know who your father is," Will reprimanded. “He still harbors that old grudge.” 

Will, Fulke, and Djaq all looked at each other and laughed. Tom and Jon had been FitzWarin's 'sons' so long now, even they forgot the boys weren't his by birth. The boys looked more like him then ever. Their hair had darkened naturally over time. No one doubted they were Fulke's sons though the accounting of it would never stand up to scrutiny. 

Thomas and Jonathan FitzWarin looked at them as if they were mad. They did not remember much of their life before they’d come to Fulke and Will. It'd been almost ten years now. They were not yet nineteen, and both strong handsome young men. 

"I know well who my father is," Tom put his hand on Will's neck. 

Swelling with pride, Will put his arm around his son’s shoulder.

"And no more calling yourself ‘Fulke,'" Will wagged a finger at Jonathan.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're on about," Jon turned his nose up with a wry smile.

"Listen to me, boy. King John hates me," Fulke slapped him on the back and held up two fingers close together in front of his face. "We're this close to being outlawed again."

“Good," Jon said.

"More honest that way. We were outlaws before, we can do it again,” Tom agreed.

"Ah, to be young and foolish," Djaq smiled. 

"Are you all done with the reminiscences and the remonstrances?" Henry came through a tunnel from the castle. "I'd like to get a move on, this year."

"Ah, ‘Lord Blakeney,’" Fulke bowed low. "That routine of yours is getting on my nerves."

"It works," Henry grinned. "It lets me in society, in places ‘Henry the stable boy’ might never get into. No one thinks a fop like Blakeney capable of much thought. It gets us all kinds of intelligence.”

"He’s so irritating though," Jon admitted. "I just want to smack him."

“Me too," Henry said.

"Like the layout of the Tower of London," Djaq pointed out. "And information about the changing of the guard?”

“Nice work,” Tom smiled.

"Thank god, too, otherwise Fulke might have to seduce another soldier to get us in," Will said.

"I only did that once," Fulke retorted.

"It did help us get you out of that Austrian prison," Djaq agreed.

"Don’t help him," Will protested, causing his Saracen love to shrug.

"Which you wouldn’t have been in, if you hadn’t been fool enough to rush off without me,” Fulke scolded.

"Then we both would have been in that prison," Will countered.

"I still can’t believe Uncle Roger went and got caught, again," Jon groaned, deliberately interrupting.

"Well, that is why they transferred him to the Tower," Henry smiled. "He kept escaping the other jails."

"We should just kill Reginald de Grey," Jon said.

“They’ll just put someone new in the position, better the devil we know," Tom countered.

"Let’s get on the road," Will said. "We spilt up, and meet in London."

"The horses are waiting outside town," Djaq told him.

"Luke and Edmund are meeting us in London," Henry said.

"All right then, hands in,” Will said. 

They all stood around in a circle, one hand on top of the other, and shouted in unison.

"We are Robin Hood!"

THE END


End file.
